The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Track and Field takes six individuals, DMR to NCAA Indoor Championships
03.10.2008 | XC: Men_Old, Track & Field / Cross Country
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INDIANAPOLIS -- The ninth-ranked Texas Men's Track and Field team will send six individuals and the world-record setting, distance-medley relay team to the 2008 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships from Friday-Saturday, March 14-15. The NCAA released the 2008 descending order list of national qualifiers on Monday.
The distance-medley relay (DMR) group enters the race with the fastest time for the second consecutive season with its world-record setting time of 9:25.97. The qualifying quartet is comprised of All-American Kyle Miller (Katy, Texas), All-Big 12 selection Danzell Fortson (Fort Worth, Texas), Big 12 champion 800-meter runner Jacob Hernandez (Magnolia, Texas) and reigning NCAA mile run champion Leo Manzano (Marble Falls, Texas).
Two legs of the DMR, Miller and Manzano, also qualified in the open mile. Manzano, the defending national champion in the event, met the automatic qualifier in running 3:59.21 at the New Balance Invitational on Feb. 9. Miller posted a lifetime-best 4:00.50 at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 15.
All-American senior Jake Morse (Arlington, Texas) met the provisional standard in two events - the mile and the 3,000-meter runs. Morse made the mile run field, with his personal best 4:00.41 performance at the Tyson meet. Morse set the UT school record in the 3,000, running 7:59.21.
Hernandez, the third leg of the DMR, also qualified at the Tyson meet. The second-year transfer from TCU shattered the UT school record with his lifetime-best 800-meter time of 1:47.89.
Senior Joel Hargett (Conroe, Texas) and junior Raymond Harris (Nacogdoches, Texas) will represent Texas in the field events as both are scheduled to compete in the high jump. Harris cleared a lifetime best 7-1.75 (2.18 meters) while Hargett jumped 7-1.5 (2.17 meters).
Competition begins on Friday with Hernandez in the preliminary round of the 800 at 4:30 p.m. Manzano will line up for the mile at 6:45 p.m. Both will join Fortson and Miller for the DMR at 9:15 p.m. All times are Central.